Arch support for the human foot



Jan. 29, 1957 J, C, HOWELL ARCH SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN FOOT Filed Nov.25, 1955 INVENTOR. TOJEPH Hon/54.4.

United States Patent O ARCH SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN FOOT Joseph C. Howell,Fort Lee, N. J.

Application November 23, 1955, Serial No. 548,643

Claims. (Cl. 36-71) This invention relates to an arch support for thehuman foot.

An object of the invention is to provide a corrective longitudinal andtransverse support for the metatarsal and transverse arches of the foot.

Another object of the-invention is to provide an arch support forelevating fallen metatarsal bones of the foot and to support the samefor correcting the fallen condition of the bones.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arch support of saidcharacter which will flex and bend with the movement of the foot inwalking.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an yarch supportwhich is adjustable for varying the elevation thereof to suit therequirement of the user.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arch supportaffixed to a ply of material adapted to overlie the inner rsole of ashoe and which is freely removable for adjustment of the support.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made tothe following specification and accompanying drawings in which thepreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the under side of an arch supportconstructed in accordance with the invention and affixed to a ply ofmaterial adapted to overlie the inner sole of a shoe.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on line 2--2of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts of the arch support shown inseparated juxtaposition.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the serrated face of the recess memberadapted to be engaged by the cam member for varying the elevation of thearch plates.

Referring to the drawings, the arch support includes one or more archplates which are longitudinal and upwardly arched by means of tensioningmembers which are adjustable in overlapping relation to produce thedesired elevation of the arch plates.

In the embodiment illustrated, the support includes two arch plates and11 but the same may include additional plates in order to provide asupport for a user requiring increased strength in the plates. The platelil is of general triangular formation and of relatively greater lengththan width and is provided with a plurality of slots 12 extendinginwardly from the forward end thereof to thereby form parallel resilientfingers 14 along the forward end thereof. The said plate is also formedwith a plurality of slots 15 which extend inwardly on opposite sidesthereof to provide resilient fingers 16 along the opposite sides of theplate. The arch plate 11 is similarly of general triangular formation tocorrespond to substantially to that of the plate 10. The plate 11 isformed with slots 17 extending inwardly from the forward end thereofforming resilient fingers 18. A plurality of the medial slots 17 extendthroughout the greater part of the length of the plate.

The plates 10 and 11 are retained in arch formation by means oftensioning members 19 and 20 which overlap and are adjustable to varythe effective length thereof in order to vary the heights of the archplates. The tensioning member 19 underlies the forward portion of thearch plates 10 and 11 and is formed with a plurality of slots 21extending inwardly from the forward end thereof so as to form resilientfingers 22 along the forward end thereof and which correspond in numberto the fingers 14 and 18 of the arch plates 10 and 11. The plates 10 and11 and tensioning member 19 are secured together by any desired meanssuch as by rivets 23 which extend through openings in the fingers 14, 18and 22 thereof respectively so as tov secure corresponding fingers ofthe plates and tensioning members together in fixed relation. j f

The tensioning member 20 consists of a flat strip which is formed with alongitudinally extending slot 24 opening through the top and bottomfaces thereof adjacent the forward end of said strip. Secured to theextreme end thereof by any desired means such as by rivets 25 is amember 26 having a recess 27 extending arcuately thereacross and withthe inner face 28 of said recess being serrated for a purpose to behereinafter explained. The plates 10 and 11 together with the tensioningmember 20 are secured together in fixed assembled relation at theirrearward ends by any desired means such as by rivets 29. The forward endof the tensioning member 2t) underlies the reducedrend of the tensioningmember 19 with the Islot 24 registering with an opening 30 in saidreduced end.

In order to adjust the effective length of the tensioning members 19 and20, a disk like cam member 31 is provided whichl has a cam peripheralface 32 and is mounted for manually turning thereof on a screw 33engaging through the opening 30 in the reduced end of the tensioningmember 19 and through the slot 24 with the threaded lower .end of thescrew engaged by a nut 34 for tightening the tensioning members 19 and20 in adjusted set position when the cam member has been rotated againstthe serrated face 28 of the member 26 to adjust the overlapping relationof the tensioning members 19 and 20 so as to effect the desiredelevation of the plates 10 and 11.

The arch support is attached to a ply 35 of thin, ilexible material suchas leather and the like which overlies the heel and instep portions of ashoe and is contoured to closely t the sides of the shoe so as to retainthe arch support in position under the metatarsal and transverse archesof the foot. The support is affixed to the ply 35 by the rivets 23 and29 which are arranged with the headed ends thereof disposed against theuppermost face of the ply.

In order to adjust the plates 10 and 11 to increase or decrease theheights of the bowed formation thereof, the nut 34 is loosened and themember 31 rotated so as to cam the periphery thereof against theserrated face 28 to thereby effect a shortening of the effective lengthof the tensioning members 19 and 2i) when the heights of the arch plates10 and 11 is t-o be increased. When in adjusted position the nut 34 istightened so as to hold the plates in fixed position. If the heights ofthe plates 10 and 11 is to be decreased, the member 31 is turned so a-sto increase the effective lengths of the tensioning members 19 and 20and when in adjusted position with the member 31 wedged against theserrated face 28, the nut 34 is tightened so as to retain the tensioningmembers in set position.

The fingers 14, 18 and 22 of the plates 10 and 11 and tensioning member19 being resilient and being secured together, the forward portion ofthe support will ex and bend when weight is imposed thereon by themovement of the foot in walking. The fingers 16 extending along theopposite sides of the arch plate 1l) provide flexibility to the oppositesides of the support whereby the support may bend laterally downwardwhen weight is imposed on the support. The arrangement thus functions toprovide a resilient and comfortable support and at the same time exertspressure against the metatarsal and transverse arches of the foot so asto position the same in correct relation.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed herein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limitedbut shall cover and include any and all modifications of the inventionwhich fall within the purview thereof.

What is claimed is: v

l. In an arch support for supporting an arch of a human foot, normallyarched upper and lower plates, tensioning members underlying said archedplates, one of said tensioning members and said arched plates having aplurality of corresponding resilient fingers at the forward endsthereof, corresponding fingersof said tensioning member and of saidarched plates being secured together at the ends thereof, said archedplates and the other of said tensioning members being secured togetherat their rear ends, and interengageable means carried by said tensioningmembers for varying the effective length thereof for adjusting theheights of said arched plates.

2. In an arch support for supporting an arch of a human foot, normallyarched upper and lower plates, tensioning members underlying said archedplates, one of said tensioning members and said arched plates having aplurality of corresponding resilient fingers at the forward endsthereof, corresponding fingers of said tensioning member and of saidarched plates being secured together at the ends thereof, said archedplates and the other of said tensioning members being secured togetherat their rear ends, one of said tensioning members having an abutmentand an elongated opening therethrough, and cam means rotatable on ashank carried by the other tensioning member and extending through saidopening for engagement of said cam means with said abutment forregulating the effective length of said tensioning members for varyingthe elevation of said arched plates.

3. In an arch support for supporting an arch of a human foot, a normallyarched upper plate, tensioning members underlying said arched plate, oneof said tensioning members and said arched plate having a plurality ofcorresponding resilient fingers at the forward ends thereof,corresponding lingers of said tensioning member and of said arched platebeing secured together at the ends thereof, said arched plate and theother tensioning member being secured together at their rear ends, one0f said tensioning members having an abutment and an elongated openingtherethrough, and cam means rotatable on a shank carried by the othertensioning member and extending through said opening for engagement ofsaid cam means with said abutment for regulating the effective length ofsaid tensioning members for varying the elevation of said arched plate.

4. in an arch support for supporting an arch of a human foot, a normallyarched upper plate, tensioning members underlying said arched plate, oneof said tensioning members and said arched plate having resilientfingers at the forward ends thereof, the fingers of said arched platebeing secured to the fingers of said tensioning member, said archedplate and the other tensioning member being secured together at theirrear ends, and interengageable means carried by said tensioning membersfor varying the effective length thereof for adjusting the heights ofsaid arched plate.

5. in an arch support for supporting an arch of a human foot, normallyarched upper and lower plates, said arched plates having a plurality 0fresilient fingers at the forward ends thereof, said upper arched platehaving resilient fingers at the opposite longitudinal edges thereof,said arched plates being secured together at their ends, a tensioningmeans underlying said arched plates and secured to the ends thereof formaintaining said arched plates in arched relation, and a ply of flexiblematerial substantially coextensive with tbe heel and instep portion of ashoe overlying the upper plate and affixed thereto at the ends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,686,034 Roser Oct. 2, 1928 l ...nu M"

